Seek the City campaign moves from listening phase to vision phase with a moving “Call to Prayer”

The Seek the City to Come initiative transitioned to its next phase with a prayer service that included moving music, inspiring words about the challenge ahead and a little ice cream.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore hosted its “Call to Prayer” June 27 to close the listening phase and usher in the vision phase of its mission to reshape the Catholic Church in Baltimore City.

The event at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland opened with an outdoor gathering at which bishops, religious and parishioners from all regions of Baltimore mingled while eating treats from Taharka Brothers Ice Cream as a Mariachi band played and a marching drum corps performed.

Once the event moved indoors, an estimated 600 to 700 were treated to music from an array of performers – the Catholic Community Chorale, St. Patrick’s Choir, the Spirit Filipino Choir and the St. Francis Xavier Choir.

The service opened with a standing ovation when Archbishop William E. Lori noted Baltimore’s own Mother Mary Lange had moved a step closer to sainthood and closed with standing ovations for the musicians and the initiative’s leadership team.

In between, the congregation heard a challenging homily from Archbishop Lori and a progress report from the leadership team of Geri Royale Bird, Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and Lia Garcia.

By all accounts the presentation, which included a status-report video, was well received.

“It was fabulous,” said Eileen Clark, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Monastery in West Baltimore.

“I enjoyed it. It was a great service,” said Freddie Jobel, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus/Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Highlandtown. 

“It was very interesting to hear what they’ve learned,” said Harry Romano, a parishioner of St. Thomas More in Northeast Baltimore. “It should be interesting to see where it takes us.”

“There was lots of energy, but there’s lots of work ahead,” said Mary Ellen Jernigan, a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Monastery.

The work ahead was a common theme, with the leadership team stressing that it has learned the importance of ministries, maintenance, manpower and money during the first phase.

Archbishop Lori emphasized that the work ahead is about discipleship.

“The church of the City of Baltimore has perhaps not fully flexed its muscles in quite a while,” he said in his homily. 

He added that the church needs “to be a field hospital for those in our midst who are hurting.”

The prayer service was sort of a pep rally as the archdiocese tries to reimagine its mission in Baltimore.

After engaging more than 3,600 people in its initial listening phase, the initiative is moving toward envisioning a new approach.

The Seek the City leadership team spoke with parishioners, pastors and parish directors during an exhaustive, more-than-yearlong process of meetings, virtual gatherings, parish visits and an archdiocese-wide survey.  

The vision phase will begin in the fall with regional gatherings to discuss the four core mission priorities – liturgy and welcoming, encounter and accompaniment, sending, and mission support.

“This is where we really roll up our sleeves and get to work,” said Byrd, director of the Seek the City initiative. “This city needs the Church of Baltimore, and Baltimore above all needs love. We are all in this together and will boldly move forward with a plan for our future.”

During the listening phase, according to the leadership team:

• more than 1,000 people participated in the campaign’s survey this past spring;
• more than 900 took part in “listening Sunday” sessions;
• more than 1,100 visited with team leaders during parish visits by the team;
• more than 230 made their voices heard at the “Open Prayerful Discussions” last winter;
• and more than 30 gathered in “Mission and Ministry Group” events.

Seek the City was launched in the fall to help discern how to make parishes more vibrant and better use resources at all 57 city parishes and four near-in parishes in Baltimore County. The visits included tours of 61 parish campuses.

The initiative was launched in part because there are only about 5,000 registered parishioners citywide in parishes that once totaled 250,000 on their rolls.

Click below to listen to a Catholic Review Radio interview with Bishop Lewandowski and Byrd about the next phase of Seek the City. Story continues below.

During many listening sessions over the last several months, Bishop Lewandowski has emphasized that no decisions have been made regarding possible closures of existing parishes. He has acknowledged, however, that as part of the renewal of parish ministry in the city, some church buildings may eventually close.

The “missionary and ministry” sessions examined the following topics at parishes: Latino communities; Black communities; deacons and their wives; ethnic parishes; young families; young single persons; youths; religious orders; non-practicing Catholics;  LGBTQIA+; catechetical leaders; sister parishes; disabilities and deaf ministries; racial justice; college-aged; Knights of Columbus; and pastoral leaders of multiple parish ministries.

The “administrative focus groups” sessions examined the following topics: fellow nonprofits; elected officials and civic leaders; donors; parish finance officials; ecumenical/interfaith leaders; advisory for facilities and properties; evangelization; and pastor advisory teams.

According to Byrd, the vision phase will be similar to the listening phase but without the individual parish visits, and is expected to last four to six months.

“We will take the groundswell of voices, meet in the middle and find a way forward,” Byrd said.

The archdiocese plans to set up dashboards to share data on each parish and pastorate with its pastor and leadership committees. The data will include information on parish and neighborhood demographics as well as parish resources and ministries.

From there, the initiative will move to a “prayer and discernment” phase before finally deciding on a path forward for city parishes. 

“This is going to be a prayerful journey,” Byrd said. “We can’t do anything without faith. We have to trust one another and extend a hand with open arms.”

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

To view more photographs of the Seek the City to Come “Call to Prayer,” click below:

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